Blessed In A Bar

I traveled on last week to Philadelphia to attend a work related conference. It was really good, and bonus, I got to break bread with the post collegiate. At the end of a busy week, both of us were tired and elected to grab a meal in the lobby of my hotel. During dinner, I shared that I had been in my feelings a bit during the day. You see, I’ve been gone from my former position a little over three months. It was a great space, one that enabled me to be creative, intentional and grow some initiatives from scratch. I had great colleagues and I had the pleasure of positively impacting the lives of women daily. It was a dream job. However, with all dreams come a little bit of nightmare. As the job continued to become more complicated and expansive, I sought an increase in pay. My request was denied. I pouted. I cried. I was visibly angry. God dealt with me. He told me that I could either stay or leave; but if I stayed, I had no right to continue to act out. God is a G! I got myself together and continued to enjoy my responsibilities. A few months later, I was extended an opportunity at another institution. I accepted and have been enjoying my new role and responsibilities.

While attending my conference, I learned that my former position was posted, and to my surprise, the position has been upgraded – upgraded to the level I’d asked for. Oh yeah, back to me being in my feelings. While having dinner with the post collegiate and sharing my disappointment, I heard someone call out my name. I turned to find a woman in higher education who I deeply respect. She served as a faculty member during a leadership institute I attended a little over a year ago. We embraced and I congratulated her on her recent appointment. She congratulated me on mine. I shared the news that was disturbing my state of being. Dr. Karen’s response, “Sometimes God sends disruption to bless us!” And just like that, I could have done a run around the bar as likened to a run in the sanctuary. In a space where folks are engaging with spirits, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Her words cut to my core. Of course I feel confident about the decision I made to assume a new role. It has been a most excellent choice, but one that I would have missed had God not stirred up what I thought was a disappointment that actually morphed into my good.

God desires to bless us. After all, He sent His Son, His only Son so that we might have life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10). Yet, abundance doesn’t always show up in the manner by which we envision. It presents in difficulty and challenge and upheaval. We believe that God is not in it. But we must trust that He is, as well as trust the walking epistles that He places in our midst to remind us that we are not forgotten. As I’ve shared in a few of the blogs, 2019 ain’t for the faint of heart, and we are only three months in. Nevertheless, God’s propensity is steeped in identifying places and spaces to bless those who place their trust in Him. Keep trusting. Building always follows disruption. So do blessings.